419 scam: "Greetings from WASHINGTON DC, USA"<download@barcode0711.de> Greetings from WASHINGTON DC, USA

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- b.oxford@usa.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Greetings from WASHINGTON DC, USA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <b.oxford@usa.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 02:45:53 +0300
Subject: Greetings from WASHINGTON DC, USA

Greetings from WASHINGTON DC, USA
From: Beharie Oxford (COL)
August 21, 2012

Sir,
I am Beharie Oxford, Deputy Director, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and
Engineering Center (AMRDEC). It will interest you to know that I have nominated you as my beneficiary
to receive USD$15, 000, 000 (Fifteen Million Dollars) which I want to keep safely in your account and or
any overseas account under your supervision.

My desire and purpose is to have you invest this US$15,000,000 in a lucrative business and retain the
funds until my retirement which is coming-up in the next 5 years. Kindly indicate if you have any
profitable business to invest this fund for these 5 years; let me also know the business and its profit.

Please bear in mind that this is a legitimate transaction, and the only reason why strict privacy is
advised, is that the result of restrictions of the civil service laws here in the United States.

To enable us discusses the details of this venture, I will want us to schedule a one on one WEBCAM chat
through SKYPE (Please provide a SKYPE ID in a return mail and time to meet you online today or tomorrow)

My Skype ID is: beharie.oxford
My E-mail ID: b.oxford@usa.com
Thanking you for your consideration to attend to my proposal.

Respectfully,
COL. Beharie Oxford
(AMRDEC)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam